Improvement in discharging-cars



J. w. McDONALD.

nxscmmme CARS. No.181,4;60. PatentedAug. 22. 1876.

WITNESSES N. PETERS, PHOTO-UTHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D. C.

NI'IED ST S PATENT Orrrcn.

JAMES W. MCDONALD, OF GAMPELLEEOdNEW BRUNSWICK, CANADA.

lMPROV'EMENTlN DlSCl-lARGlNG -CARS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 181,460, dated August 22, 1876; application filed May 12,1876. I

Figure 1 is a side elevation with the end in section. Fig. 2 is a vertical end view with a part of the belt broken away. Fig.3 isan inverted plan view of the operating parts.

' This invention relates to a novel construction of cars designed for distributing gravel and broken stone upon railroads for the purpose of ballasting the same while under process of construction. Thecars ordinarily used for this purpose are the plain platform-car, and the gravel, &c., has to be shoveled off .of

the same upon the side, and then shoveled' back again upon the track to form the bed. I

The object of my invention is to dispense with this laborby providing a' car which is self-discharging, and so arranged as to distribute its load uniformly and evenly upon thetrack. To thisendl have constructed a car with a supplementalv frame carrying poly onal rollers at the ends, around which passes a continuous endless belt of sheet or plate iron which forms the upper surface of the car. This belt is provided with a detachable connection with the running-gear of the car, by means of which the belt is set in motion at the proper time, and the supported load is evenly distributed at the end, a secondendless belt being arranged at the end transversely to the car and inclined to the earth so as to receive the gravel and stone and carry it from its own gravity to one side of the track, whenever it is desired to fill in the road-bed upon the side, for' straightening the track, or for other purposes.

In the drawing, A represents the body of the car, and B B the trucks of the same, which, in general construction, do not differ mateterially from those ordinarily employed. Upon the upper part of the body of the car, however, I construct a supplemental frame, 0, which is of about the same length and width as the car itself, and is attached to the carframe by means of the supporting-plates D, which latter are strongly made of metal, and are screwed or bolted to both the car-frame and supplemental frame. In the ends of the supplemental frame 0 are journaled the polygonal rollers D D of which D is provided ;with end pulleys F, notched so as to receive the links of chains E that drive the same.

Around the polygonal rollers passes from end to end of the car an endless revolving belt, G, which forms the upper surface of the car and carries the load, the said belt being supported and guided in its passage by frictionrollers H, arranged in the supplemental frame transversely to the car, and a sufficient distance apart to support the load without damage to the belt. The said'belt consists of thin plates of iron about an eighth of an inch thick, arranged transversely to the car, and having their adjacent edges bent around so as to hook into each other, every alternate one of of said plates being provided with extensions of metal we, of which one is turned up and the other down, so as to extend over the joint of the two plates, and prevent them from slipping laterally from their position in the belt. To operate the belt, whenever a car-load is to discharged, one of the axles I of one of the trucks is extended so as to project uponboth sides beyon'dlthe edges of the car, and is provided upon each side with a rigidly-attached clutch, J." Sliding loosely upon the ends of this lengthened axle are arranged pulleys K Kjwhich are connected by chains E, with the pulleys F of the polygonal rollers carrying the belt.

upon, so that whenever the car is in the proper position he may connect the coupling, and thus compel the belt to move and the car These loose pulleys are provided each, with a groovedpulley, R, and a clutch that to automatically discharge itsel-fi-fromi its own 1 will be about as one to three, so thatmthe car will have to passabout' threetimes its lengtlr before it discharges all of its load, and the layer of gravel, stone, oneartb upowthefitrack will consequently be one-third thefthi'ckness of the load on the car.

This construction of car, it will be seen',,dispenses with ali the: laborot handlingtlre ma terial forming the road-bed, and automat'l cally distributes it the proper thickness.

When a train of these cars-are to be unloaded the'belt-ofi the first one=issetiin motion until the loadis dischargedg a d es soo'nflas the belt-driving mechanism is? In order to throw a-i-quantilfy of 'tli g rock, or earth u poo the side oli the traclr,

straighteningthe track, or fbr anyiother pit pose, a second 'belt; Q,*is arranged detachabl at the endofi lihecantran's ve'rsely tothemain belt, and receivesthe'contentsofi the-carfupom ts upper edge,-to:-transfer 'itto tlieisiile of -thee track; Said belt is constructed ofi 'sheets flor plates of iron; likethe-first mentioned- ,and isarranged to pass-aroundrollers"wima'frame, &

b, which is fastened: by-=hooks, orotlier sui able means, tothe-car frame,thesaiillbeliian framebeing inclined, so tlialf as ther load i dischargedupon the'sameiucaus'es the bent to revolve from'jthe gravity of the materia but the said belt may be" drivenbywgeiiriflg connected with any of theoperating? parts? of I11 distributing the? load, a largeqportion o the momentum oft-lie car will be utilized; an the resistance which the devices aflord wi operate in the nature of a brake; but-brakes of the-ordinary construction may bei applied tothe'carand operated in? connectiom the'rjee with, if found desirable:

disconnected the coupling of tlie=belt drivingmeclianisin oh the 1 second car is eflectedg and so' on u nt the whole tlitillhHS been discliarged M- ui load 1:

:the' polygonal roller-D a substantially as described?" Having. thus; described rny invention w-h at arileiEexfiended: beyondthe sides ofi the car I ersrbyis able mechanism substantially a's- 1:

' 4% The comhinat'ion with: tlie helt fli anal; "rryihgpirlleys-F, f;

the chains -Er slidin g ipulleye K; having a it 5: The eemhinaeifew beetle p lygqnal i 1 roller" 13 having pulley F, chains l slidingi'a; pulley-s i K; having greov'ed pulley? Hand 21; J belied axle I -thawinglhceir J, ivoted airone eud 'and 'grasping aetheo lieia theconnecting piveteui to v an ever -conneetion for the same; hepur posedeseribedir1 combination with the camhavin gy 1 endless? belti G; al a -second? endiess belt; Q-;;arranged at the mid ofitlie; car? transverselyto thesame and adapteifito recei he diseharge from the firslrbelli and carry- -it'vto one" side,

mans wrtnrnwnenonntnz Witn'essesr- Jeanne Jem ma; EDwhRn-M'eNEIfim G, and the poly onalirollb'rsm lil j' ofi the car" diwitlr onwottliei olygonal rollb y laten andWhe lbng-fihened airle I 11min ga a 1 a rigid and firmly-attachedioliitchghJ,.asandifor"! the purpesedescriliedi f 

